LOS ANGELES - George Carlin (news) famously dissected "The Seven Words You Can't Say on Television" as a way to explore what everyone was so uptight about.

Thirty-two years later the same debate is still raging, now fueled by Janet Jackson (news)'s Super Bowl flash, the suspension of Howard Stern's raunchy radio show from six stations and new House legislation that would raise a performer's indecency fine from $11,000 to $500,000.

So what does the 66-year-old Carlin think of the current handwringing over what is indecent, profane, obscene, immoral, lewd or insulting?

"More of the same, more of the same. What are we, surprised?" Carlin told The Associated Press on Friday

He blamed it on religious moralism, media commercialism and election-year politics.

"The whole problem with this idea of obscenity and indecency, and all of these things  bad language and whatever  it's all caused by one basic thing, and that is: religious superstition. ... There's an idea that the human body is somehow evil and bad and there are parts of it that are especially evil and bad, and we should be ashamed. Fear, guilt and shame are built into the attitude toward sex and the body. ... It's reflected in these prohibitions and these taboos that we have."

Mix that with TV or radio, and you've got a problem, he said.

"What I always remind people is, radio and television and  as it happens  newspapers and magazines too, are advertising media. ... When you have commercialism involved you have the kind of fear that advertisers are very afraid of offending some potential customer. They don't want to lose a sale. So they have this need to inspect and clean up and watch the content in order not to hurt their own sales. It's based on success at the cash register.

"And yet, they're very inconsistent_ on that Super Bowl broadcast of Janet Jackson's there was also a commercial about a 4-hour erection. A lot of people were saying about Janet Jackson, 'How do I explain to my kids? We're a little family, we watched it together ...' And, well, what did you say about the other thing? These are convenient targets."

He also thinks President Bush (news - web sites) is trying to placate right-wing voters.

The U.S. Air Force veteran compared the recent tension with memories of his military experience.

"These bursts of interest and decency are just like when you're in the Air Force, Army and Marines, whatever  the discipline in your unit may get a little lax, people live with it, it's fine for months at a time then some colonel notices it and suddenly they crack down ... enforcing all the minor rules and regulations. Then what happens after these bursts of bothering people, that wears off and we get back to normal, relaxed discipline, but things still get done.

"The whole problem with this idea of obscenity and indecency, and all of these things  bad language and whatever  it's all caused by one basic thing, and that is: religious superstition. ... There's an idea that the human body is somehow evil and bad and there are parts of it that are especially evil and bad, and we should be ashamed. Fear, guilt and shame are built into the attitude toward sex and the body. ... It's reflected in these prohibitions and these taboos that we have."

If capping a performance with the exhibition of a mutilated (pierced) nipple is acceptable behavior at family safe entertainment like the Super Bowl, where would Mr. Carlin draw the line?

Are mutilated genitals acceptable for broadcast too?

If the human body is so beautiful, why are these sadomasochists multilating it and then dangling their parts in public?

8
posted on 03/12/2004 9:53:18 PM PST
by weegee
('...Kerry is like that or so a crack sausage.')

George Carlin thinks of himself in all seriousness as a sagacious philosopher. But when I read his words I always see revealed a bitterness, the kind of bitterness an old man might have who's been carrying a chip on his shoulder since he was a little kid.

Talking about indecency, anyone see that new animated program on sci-fi channel called "Tripping the Rift". I saw it last night and was shocked. This 3-breasted space alien was humping a robot and pulled off the robot's special appendage that hangs below the waistline belt. That was during her moans and yelling "Oh God" repeatedly. The program was awful. After watching for about 2 minutes, I turned the channel. Nothing about the program was entertaining or funny. It was gross. Worse than Homer Simpson. Very blatant animated pornography.

These tasteless, self-obsessed 'entertainers' do a better job of proving the need for decency regulations than we could ever hope to with our best arguments.

Twenty years ago, the seven forbidden 'words' were about as shocking as you could get. Now it has degraded to encouraging couples to have sex in St. Patrick's Cathedral and broadcasting the 'stunt' over the radio. Thank G-- those pigs were caught and arrested.

Talking about indecency, anyone see that new animated program on sci-fi channel called "Tripping the Rift".

Three things. 1. It is on after Prime time. 2. Though it is runchy, (unlike Reality TV) it does have a brain and a plot (you have to think about some of the jokes and episode 1 was much better). 3. It does not pretend to be something it is not.

This 3-breasted space alien was humping a robot and pulled off the robot's special appendage that hangs below the waistline belt. That was during her moans and yelling "Oh God" repeatedly.

I saw that episode and if you continued watching the scene it turns out to be a robot.

Nothing about the program was entertaining or funny.

If you had given it a chance and had watched the episode from beginning to end you may actually enjoyed it.

BTW, I met Carlin in a local restaurant near my house in LA about twenty years ago. He didn't look any better then than he does now and made even less sense. LOL Carlin like the majority of entertainers in Hollyweird should just stick to what they know. "Just read the lines, baby and shut up!" LOL

Carlin is so sixties. I saw him not long ago on a DVD rental in a concert special and was surprised how little his act has changed in 35 years. The same old four letter words designed to shock, the same old tired establishment targets the same old faux humanism. I was surprised he didn't launch into some Nixon jokes, he was that dated. I watched about 40 minutes and gave up. As they say, "move along folks, nothin' to see here".

Howie Carr (Boston Talk Radio)- had Carlin on his show last year. Carlin was playing his 'bad boy, common man' schtick to the hilt - then the discussion turned to how many people paid to see him last year - IF the numbers he claims are true and even if he only charges $10 per head - he rakes in millions every year - there are a lot of nostagia mad dopers out there. Carlin's 'brain' was fried years ago and he still doesn't make any sense - didn't he publish a book called 'Brain Farts'? That about describes what comes out of his mouth.

Disclaimer:
Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual
posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its
management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the
exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.